When hunting for a new construction home it’s easy to get carried away with designing your space and forget about one of the most important decisions you’ll make during the process: picking the lot!
Sure, this seems like a fairly basic step, but there’s actually a lot to consider when you’re choosing where your new home will sit. Today we’ll be covering the three things you need to keep in mind: location, size, and grade.
Location
Location can mean several things, depending on the neighborhood you’re considering. For instance, if you’re looking at a large, master-planned community such as Dominion Valley in Haymarket, Virginia, you’ll need to think not only about which section of the community you’ll be living in but also your proximity to amenities and entrances.
Toll Brothers is constructing homes in three different sections of Dominion Valley right now: Estates, Executives, and Villas, so that’s a good place to start your choice of location. Consider how far you are from entrances and exits. Do you want to be far from the front for extra seclusion? Or do you prefer easy access for commuting purposes? Which direction your home will face based on the lot location. How much natural light will it have?
Size
When you’re shopping for a lot it can be difficult to envision what it will look like and how much yard space you’ll have after the home is sitting there. As part of your research, look up lot sizes on resale properties and drive by those home to scope out how the area looks and feels once the house has been constructed. Compare different sizes and shapes of lot as well.
The Ridings at North Branch features half-acre lots for all their homes, which give owners a good amount of space to work with. However, depending on the shape of the lot and position of the home, a third-acre lot can feel just as spacious as a half.
Grade
Once again, this comes down to personal preference. We guess that 95 percent of buyers are looking for a level lot, but there’s still that other 5 percent. Some may want a steep lot with a home sitting at the top for vantage or an added sense of security. If you’re looking at a raw lot and having a hard time telling what the finished geography will be, talk to the developer about any grading that may be done to before the homes are built. Also, find out where exactly the structure will sit. If the rear of the lot is very steep, but the home will be built into this portion, then the steep grading may not impact you at all. Even though choosing the lot may seem very basic, it does require a bit of research and consideration. As you shop think about these three factors and come back to this article if you forget!
